Rule over Ming Dynasty

Chapter 219: Clear and Successful

In Beijing in August, the scorching heat has passed, and the temperature is gradually dropping.

Due to the imminent autumn, countless candidates flocked to the capital to prepare for this year's Enke Township Examination, wanting to seize this opportunity.

Living in this era, obtaining fame can be said to be the only way out for ordinary people.

It's just that it is not easy to stand out from the crowd in the Shuntian Township Examination, especially since the supervising students of the Imperial College in Beijing have top-notch teaching resources, making it even more difficult for ordinary students in Beizhili to break through.

But no matter how difficult it is, their highest pursuit in life is always to obtain fame, then step into the officialdom, and finally walk along that palace road into Fengtian Hall to meet the emperor who is high above him.

Beijing City, Xiyuan.

The officials from the six ministries had achieved their original dream, and after being notified, they came to the gate of Xiyuan together.

Because the emperor is now emphasizing on practical affairs, their group of pragmatic officials from the six ministries has been reused.Although the status of the cabinet is still detached, compared with the past, it has obviously declined.

In fact, this is easy to understand. In the past, the emperor only contacted the cabinet, but now the emperor directly communicates with the officials of the six ministries, causing the cabinet to become the emperor's secretarial agency.

As for the previously invincible ministers, they are now obviously suppressed by the emperor, and the ministers of the Ministry of Rites are no longer selected from the Imperial Academy for official positions.

If we say where the power of the imperial court is now, it is neither the officials of the six ministries nor the cabinet with a detached position, but it is firmly controlled by Emperor Hongzhi.

"Today's meeting is best to watch more and talk less!"

"There is nothing to worry about, let's make suggestions for His Majesty!"

"That's right, it's just that some things are said, and they are going to offend people after all!"

……

Hubu Shangshu Li Si walked behind with two newly promoted servants, looking like a prophet, expressing emotion to his two subordinate officials.

"The courtier is in power, but the country will not be the country!" Liu Jian, the left servant of the Ministry of Rites, secretly said without anger when he saw Xu Qiong, Minister of the Ministry of Rites, talking and laughing in front of him.

Originally, he didn't want to come to this summit meeting, but the gold content of this summit meeting was too high, and the emperor clearly requested all the six ministers and ministers in Beijing to be present.

But coming here is just as frustrating. In the past, they had a superior status as ministers, and the six non-Hanlin ministers were polite to him, the left servant of the Ministry of Rites, but now he, the left servant of the Ministry of Rites, is obviously isolated.

The first stop of the six officials was not the Hall of Mental Cultivation, but the new pavilion outside the Hall of Mental Cultivation. This is the room where Wan An and Liu Ji are currently preparing daily memorials.

Since Zhu Youtang did work in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Wenyuan Pavilion is no longer the cabinet, and the real cabinet has been transferred to these value rooms.

Wan An, who was wearing a boa robe, was sitting in front of the case, conscientiously compiling the memorials for the two capitals and the thirteen provinces.

He knew that countless people were staring at his position, and he was indeed not young, so only being diligent and responsible was the best way to keep his position as chief assistant.

Facts have proved that his method is very effective, and now His Majesty not only has no intention of replacing himself, but also has some gifts from time to time.

cough cough...

After all, Wan An was getting old, and he couldn't help coughing when he walked out of the duty room, and then said to the officials waiting outside: "Now that everyone is here, let's meet His Majesty together!"

"Yes!" Minister of the Ministry of Officials, Li Yu and other officials maintained respect for the old chief assistant, and they clapped their hands together.

When they came to the door, after the eunuch reported, all the officials followed the little eunuch into the inside.

The current highest meeting place is no longer limited to the Hall of Mental Cultivation. If there is a long meeting or a meeting with a lot of disputes, the emperor will arrange it in the Imperial Study Room.

Officials such as Li Yu, Minister of the Ministry of Officials, saw the little eunuch leading them into the imperial study, they exchanged silent glances, and then respectfully said to the attic: "Your Majesty, I wish you Shengan!"

"My dear friends, please take your seat!" Zhu Youtang said calmly as he was sipping tea on it.

Wan An and the others thanked each other and took their seats one by one.

Although there are [-] people who are eligible to participate in the Supreme Meeting, due to lack of staff and leaving Beijing for business trips, etc., they have not reached full capacity.

Guo Yong, who was wearing a bullfighting suit, nodded lightly to the little eunuch next to him, and then explained to the ministers present: "This is the result of Huguang Governor Liu Zhongqing's Zhang Anluzhou, please take a look at it!"

Li Yu, Minister of the Ministry of Officials, and other officials took over the manuscripts one after another. Some officials actually knew about it in advance, but the officials who didn't know the face immediately became solemn when they saw the shocking data.

If it is said that the corruption of the Ming Dynasty’s salt administration could be blamed on salt officials and salt merchants, but now it involves the local Yintian, this sharp knife is directed at the officials and gentry groups, and even at themselves.

Due to the existence of the Diaomin Book, many of them have already started "self-correction", naturally knowing that their family is actually a member of "Yintian".

It's just that things didn't change after all. After the court showed Qingzhang's determination by killing the men of the Sun family, Liu Zhong lifted the veil of Anluzhou.

A pair of slender hands brewed West Lake Longjing tea, and a scent of tea rose.

Zhu Youtang, who was lying on the chair, took a sip of the freshly brewed tea, and then said to the court officials below: "The results of the Qingzhang of Anlu Prefecture have come out, and all the loves have already seen it! I could have Tolerate a certain amount of hidden land. After all, when the water is clear, there will be no fish. It is even more difficult for local officials to be exact! Just take a look, the registered fields account for one mu of land, and the hidden land occupies two. This Anlu is still considered Is it the territory of Ming Dynasty?"

Huguang cooked, the world is full!
While the development of cash crops is great, food is also a top priority.

Due to the relationship between geographical location, soil and water conservancy, Huguang is the most suitable place for the development of agriculture in Daming, and it is also a natural granary.

In the original historical track, Zhang Taiyue presided over a national Qingzhang.The original area of ​​Huguang was 3644 million mu, but it turned out to be 9163 million mu when it was cleared, and the hidden land property was as high as 5519 million mu.

What is this concept?
The land area after Qingzhang in Zhejiang is 5630 mu, so the result of Huguang’s Qingzhang is that Daming is equivalent to one more land in Zhejiang.

Only now, Zhu Youtang has brought this clear history forward.Since the imperial court also launched a big killer - the book of troublesome people, and now the Ministry of Industry is promoting the meter in the local area, this has made the clean-up even more thorough.

Since the imperial court has cleared the obstacles of the Sun family, Liu Zhong's Qingzhang progressed very smoothly, and the feedback from Anlu Prefecture was very good.

The "good" here is not good, because the situation of placing Luzhou Yintian is very serious.

Take the Anlu Sun family as an example. They have been multiplying in Anlu Prefecture since the time of Taizu. They not only invaded a large number of military settlements, but also extended their tentacles to the people's fields.

The number of acres of land under Sun Jiao's name alone has reached tens of thousands of acres, but in the government's roster, there are only [-] acres of land under Sun Jiao's name, and an astonishing [-]% of the land under Sun Jiao's name.

The overall situation of the hidden fields in Anlu Prefecture is shocking. The hidden fields are twice as many as the registered fields, which means that Anlu Prefecture escapes twice the grain tax every year.

If the whole world is like Anlu Prefecture, then Daming's annual grain tax revenue will no longer be 3000 million shi, but a full 9000 million shi.

Just like this, the results of Qingzhang in Anlu Prefecture are a strong proof of the hidden disease of the officials and gentry, and the grain tax of the Ming Dynasty is likely to usher in a skyrocketing increase.

"Your Majesty, you can see the whole leopard at a glance! Judging from the results of this clean-up in Anlu Prefecture, the hidden land of the officials and gentry today is huge, and I think that the whole country should be cleared immediately!" Wu Yu, the right servant of the household department, exuded a kind of Sharpness, even if you express your position authentically.

As soon as the words fell, Liu Jian, the left servant of the Ministry of Rites, immediately retorted: "Absurd! How can you know the whole leopard at a glance? In the past, there was a Hong Feitian head, and it was hard to see if it was far away. Yue people thought it was a mallard, and Chu people thought it was a second. Today, Yintian, Anlu Prefecture Being burdened by the Sun family, why does one state confirm two capitals and thirteen provinces? It is not absurd that the Sun family is evil and the gentry are evil all over the world?"

Li Yu, Minister of the Ministry of Officials, and other officials exchanged glances silently, and finally understood why His Majesty wanted to sit on it and drink tea. I dare say that he knew that there would be a dispute over this matter.

In fact, everyone is well aware of this matter. Even if the problem of Yintian in Anlu Prefecture cannot explain that the entire Ming Dynasty has Yintian, Yintian is already very serious in the two capitals and thirteen provinces.

You must know that in Anlu Prefecture, not only the Sun family is in Yintian, but also ordinary officials and gentry are more or less doing this kind of operation, so the problem of Yintian must exist in the two capitals and thirteen provinces.

As for the issue of Yintian in Anlu Prefecture, it is likely to follow the trend of the whole country.

"Liu Shilang, you are clearly sophistry! It has been more than a hundred years since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, but today the grain tax is decreasing and the farmland is increasing. Isn't it contradictory? Today's Anlu Prefecture is enough to prove that there are so many hidden fields in the country. The whole country!" Wu Yu, who came from an ordinary farming family, argued fearlessly.

Liu Jian's knowledge is naturally not weak, so he retorted lightly: "The world's grain tax is decreasing day by day. This is the result of the late emperor's implementation of benevolent government and the disaster-free fields are abundant! As for what you said about expanding the land increasing day by day, it is actually a glimpse of the leopard. This The situation in the world is complex, when disasters occur, the fields decrease, and the fields increase, and it is common for them to increase or decrease, so how can you prove that it is not more or less?”

This……

Li Yu, Minister of the Ministry of Officials, and other officials could not help but look at each other when they heard Liu Jian's words.

In fact, they all felt that Liu Jian was sophistrying, but the Ming court rarely collected data in this area, and it was really impossible to determine whether it was "increasing or decreasing" or "increasing or decreasing".

But I have to admit that these ministers have great advantages in citing scriptures, and this Zuo Shilang of the Ministry of Rites who has read sage books is indeed eloquent.

In the attic, the fragrance of tea overflows.

"Your Majesty, smell this tea first before drinking it, it will taste even better!" When there was a confrontation below, the young girl who was making tea reminded with a smile.

She is one of the [-] beautiful girls, but she is lucky to have a good tea art, but she is fortunate to be transferred here to act as the emperor's tea girl temporarily.

Zhu Youtang liked the well-developed and fair-skinned tea girl next to her very much. She reached out to pick up the teacup and smelled it, and then took a sip, and immediately a refreshing tea fragrance flooded into her body.

After all, this is an era of scrambling for power and profit, and now I want to take power personally, which leads to the failure of the wishful thinking of the ministers, and now this famous and virtuous minister in later generations is slowly becoming black.

It's just that the court needs this kind of tit-for-tat, and these hypocritical courtiers are their best whetstones.

"Your Majesty, I kindly ask you to go to Qingzhang Tianmu in Henan, and please give me your permission!" Wu Yu, the right servant of the household department, blushed with anger and had a thick neck, but suddenly asked.

Li Yu, Minister of the Ministry of Officials, and other officials looked at each other in blank dismay, and then smiled knowingly.

Wu Yu, the right servant of the household department, is now asking for an order to release Henan. Although it may be to pave the way for his future promotion to the six ministers, it is more likely to target Liu Jian.

After all, Liu Jian is an authentic Henan native. His ancestors were high-ranking officials in the Yuan Dynasty, and Liu Jian's father, Liu Liang, was a teacher in Sanyuan County, so it can be said that he was born in an official family.

If the imperial court suddenly wanted to investigate Liu Jian's family's fields, combined with Liu Jian's current status, it was really possible to find out the considerable amount of hidden land under his name.

When Liu Jian saw Wu Yu targeting him in this way, his face suddenly became terribly gloomy, but he glared at this junior viciously.

If it is someone like Li Yu, Minister of the Ministry of Officials, that's all. Now, a right servant of the Ministry of Finance, who was moved up by Lang Zhongchao of the Ministry of Households, dares to challenge him. Today, he is too serious about himself.

At this moment, he hated the Hongzhi dynasty who didn't pay much attention to his ministers, and he also hated this Hongzhi who didn't use their ministers to govern the country.

"Wu Yu, how long have you been serving as the servant of the household department? Let me make it clear that from now on, if the tenure of the six servants is less than one year, I will work honestly in my position, and don't just think about going to other places to serve as the chief official of the frontier!" Zhu Youtang took a sip of tea and warned with a blank expression.

Seeing Zhu Youtang's statement, Liu Jian couldn't help secretly heaving a sigh of relief. At the same time, he glanced at Wu Yu triumphantly, and secretly remembered the hatred.

Wu Yu didn't pay attention to Liu Jian's complacent gaze, but hurriedly knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, I will keep your teachings in mind! I didn't intend to invite the great officials of the frontier, but the result of Qingzhang in Anlu Prefecture has confirmed Yintian's disease, so I just want to share your majesty's worries and repay your kindness! I am not the governor of Henan Province, please allow me to be the magistrate of Luoyang, and I am willing to clear up the Luoyang mansion for your majesty and increase the government's grain tax!"

This……

Li Yu, Minister of the Ministry of Officials, and others couldn't help but look at Liu Jian. Wu Yu dared to kill Liu Jian even if he sacrificed his official career. This kind of servant promoted by an official is really terrible.

Liu Jian tried his best to calm down his nervous mood, but he didn't expect this stunned young man to be so ruthless.

"There is no reason for the servant of the household department of Ming Dynasty to be the magistrate, so please don't allow it! You will do a good job on the servant of the household department honestly. When the time is right, I will make my own arrangements!" Zhu Youtang lightly held the teacup in his hand Putting it down lightly, he changed the subject and said: "The effect of a state is indeed indescribable for the whole country! It is not suitable for the Ming Dynasty to carry out the Qingzhang of the whole country. Let's wait for the results of Huguang Qingzhang. If all the prefectures in Huguang have hidden fields What do you think, when the imperial court appoints capable ministers to serve as governors-general?"

Although the results in Anlu Prefecture have been shocking, it has not yet reached the time to implement it nationwide.

One is that Anlu Prefecture is a state after all, and Anlu Prefecture does not have the persuasive power of point-to-point, so the best way is to wait for the official results of Huguang's Qingzhang.

The second is the lack of talents. After all, it is people who really do things, not a piece of paper.Like Qingzhang in Anluzhou, if someone else does it, it is likely to be another result.

In addition, Qingzhang Tianmu will eventually go to war with the officials and gentry, and it is not too hasty to act too hastily now, but it can be resolved slowly in a point-to-face manner, and it will also give the entire official and gentry a buffer time.

Like Zhang Juzheng, it took him four or five years to clear the entire country, but now he has only tried it for a few months, and there is no need to rush to implement it nationwide.

That's the case, regardless of whether Liu Jian stood up to oppose it just now, he actually just wanted to clarify the results of Qingzhang's victory, but he was not eager to implement it nationwide.

Li Yu, Minister of the Ministry of Officials, and other officials knew that the current emperor was sincerely seeking to seek the country, so they expressed their opinions together: "Your Majesty is wise!"

Although Wu Yu, the right servant of the household department, hated officials like Liu Jian who dragged his feet, he still obeyed His Majesty's arrangement and knew that His Majesty was actually protecting him.

It's just that he gave Liu Jian a sneaky look, but he secretly decided to wait until Huguang's Qingzhang had a result, and then he asked to be the governor of Henan, insisting on taking off Liu Jian's underpants.

Liu Jian frowned slightly. Although he managed to escape this time, a strong uneasiness filled his heart.

"Li Qing, after this clearing up, how much tax and food will be in Anlu Prefecture?" Zhu Youtang had already made plans in mind, so he asked Li Si, the Minister of the Household Department below.

Li Si thought for a while, and then reported a statistic: "Reporting to Your Majesty, the tax and food in Anlu Prefecture are expected to reach 15 shi!"

Huh?
When Wan An and other officials heard this data, many officials seemed to have thought of something, and Dang even turned their heads to look at the attic above.

"I remember that 20 shi to [-] shi can be used as a central government! Since this is the case, the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Officials will work together, and your two yamen will upgrade Anlu Prefecture to Anlu Prefecture, and add another county!" Zhu Youtang Picking up the teacup that was just poured, the arrangement was done in a timely manner.

Li Yu, Minister of the Ministry of Officials, and Jia Jun, Minister of the Ministry of Industry, found that this arrangement seemed reasonable, so they saluted respectfully: "I wait for the order!"

Wan An and Liu Ji silently exchanged glances, realizing that their emperor is getting more and more unfathomable.

Originally clearing up the farmland was to infringe upon the interests of the local officials and gentry, and local officials who were in cahoots with the local officials and gentry would also become an obstacle, but now Zhu Youtang has upgraded Anlu Prefecture to Anlu Prefecture, and will add a county seat, which will undoubtedly divide the local officials well Close relationship with local officials.

After all, after clearing Zhang Tianmu, not to mention that many states have the opportunity to be promoted to the prefecture, even if they go from the middle mansion to the upper mansion, then there is hope that the rank will change from the fourth-rank magistrate to the fourth-rank magistrate.

Facing Qingzhang Tianmu, he did not act too hastily, but defeated them one by one like the early Ming Dynasty. It was really a step-by-step plan. How could this Qingzhang Tianmu be unreasonable?

"I summoned you here today, and the Qingzhang in Anlu Prefecture came second. In recent years, Annan has repeatedly violated the southwestern part of our Ming Dynasty, occupying land and seizing fields, but he has slaughtered our border people several times, and even plundered pearls and burned boats! Today I have already found out the crime, all lovers, please take a look!" Zhu Youtang took a sip of tea, and then said with a bit of anger.

Guo Yong, the eunuch who was in charge of the official seal, had been standing below. After hearing what Zhu Youtang said, he asked the little eunuch to distribute the relevant criminal evidence to all the officials present.

Second assistant Liu Ji didn't like war, but after seeing the numerous crimes listed above, a stern look flashed across his eyes.

"The north is stable now, and the national treasury is full. I decided to conquer Annan and help Champa and other foreign vassals regain their lost land, so as to promote our Ming Dynasty's prestige!" Zhu Youtang came to the front of the guardrail, appearing to speak surprisingly authentically.

(End of this chapter)